Lot 043Coin values
1939-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar
SAN FRANCISCO (S) · 90% SILVER, 10% COPPER · 2,552,000 STRUCK
Worth about $24–$44 circulated and $2,050–$2,950 in MS-65.
The 1939-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar is a common date from the San Francisco Mint, with 2,552,000 pieces struck. In circulated grades (G-4 to EF-40) our estimate is $24–$44, and a well-preserved MS-65 example is estimated at $2,050–$2,950. Circulated coins of this date trade at or just above the value of their metal, so the live melt value on this page is the best guide to a worn coin.
1939-SSan Francisco (S)
Catalogue medallion. We do not yet hold a licensed photograph of this exact date and mint, so none is shown rather than one with a different date.
- Mint
- San Francisco (S)
- Composition
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Mintage
- 2,552,000
- Weight and size
- 12.5 g · 30.6 mm
- Designer
- Adolph A. Weinman
Scarcer than 63% of the 65 issues in the Walking Liberty series with a recorded mintage. 2,552,000 struck. Mintage is the number struck, not the number that survive.
Mint mark position
1916 and some 1917 coins carry the mint mark on the obverse; later coins carry it on the reverse at the lower left. Make sure the position matches the date.
Strike quality
The head and left hand of Liberty and the eagle's breast are weak on many dates. Fully struck examples of the 1920s and early 1930s are scarce.
Cleaning
Many have been cleaned or dipped. Look for original luster.
About the 1939-S Walking Liberty
How much is a 1939-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar worth?
Lustre's editorial estimate (Oct 2026) is $24–$44 for circulated examples (G-4 to EF-40) and $2,050–$2,950 in MS-65. These are estimates, not an appraisal or market data. A coin in the grade you hold may sell for less at a dealer, who needs a margin.
Is a 1939-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar silver?
Yes. It is 90% silver, 10% copper and weighs 12.5 g, which is 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver. Its melt value is that weight multiplied by the current silver spot price, shown live on this page.
How many 1939-S Walking Liberty Half Dollars were minted?
2,552,000 were struck at the San Francisco Mint.
Where is the mint mark on a Walking Liberty Half Dollar?
On the obverse below the letters TR of TRUST for 1916 and some 1917 coins; on the reverse near the lower left rim from later 1917 onward. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark.
Is my 1939-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar rare?
No. It is a common date. Its value depends mostly on grade, originality and, for silver coins, the melt value.
More Walking Liberty Half Dollar values
Where these numbers come from
Walking Liberty half dollar, Wikipedia: composition, weight, diameter, edge, designer, mint mark position.
Walking Liberty half dollar mintage, Landofcoins.com: mintage by year and mint.
Lustre editorial grade-value estimates, Lustre: grade value ranges (estimates, not market data).
gold-api.com spot prices (reference level for estimates), gold-api.com: reference spot prices behind the estimates.
How the estimates are made. Facts reviewed Oct 2026.